Loom for weaving with short wefts



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

.J. H.'GREBNLEA P. LOOM FOR WBAVI NG WITH SHURT WBPTS.

N0.'42'9,618. Patented June 10, 1890.

m: norms versus :04, mow-mum, WASNINGYDN, o. c.

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' J. H. GREENLEAF.

LOOM FOR WEAVING WITH SHORT WEFTS.

Patented June 10, 1890. I

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.')

J.H.GREE-NLEAP.' LOOM FOR W-EAVING WITH SHORT WEFTS.

,618. Patented-June 10, 1890.

UNITED-STATES PATENT JOSEPH H. GREENLEAF, OF NE\V HAVEN, ASSIGNOR TO NATHAN A. BALD- WVIN, OF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT.

LOO M FOR WEAVING WITH SHORT WEFTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,618, dated June 10, 1890.

Application filed January 14, 1889. Renewed November 15, 1889- Serial No. 330,394. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. GREENLEAF, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new Improvements in Looms for WVeaving with Short Wefts; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and ex- IO act description of the same, which drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a front view, partly in section, of so much of the loom as is necessary to illustrate the invention; Fig. 2, a plan View of the same portion of the loom, the lay and crank-shaft being removed; Fig. 3, an enlarged front view of a portion of thelay, showing the arm N with the shuttle in connection therewith and the swinging cam 16 with the jaws of the shuttle in the closed position; Fig. at, the same, showing the jawsin the open position; Fig. 5, atransverse section through the shuttle; Figs. 6 and 7-, side views of the 2 5 two swinging jaws detached; Fig. 8, atop View of the parts shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 9, a rear view of the arm N; Fig. 10, an end view of.

the portion of the loom shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 11, a rear view of the shuttle, partially broken away to illustrate its engagement with the arms. Figs. 3, at, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 are on an enlarged scale.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of looms which are adapted to 3 5 weave with short wefts or fillingsthat is, in

which each run of filling is a separate detached piece, such as'are employed in weaving matting and hair-cloth. The fillings are supplied singly at the respective edges of the warps. A shuttle-like device is employed, which is driven through the shed, a single run of filling being supplied to the shuttle at one side, and so that the movement of the shuttle through the shed takes the filling into its proper position, while the shuttle passes out at the opposite side, leaving the filling, and after the beating up the shuttle returns, taking with it a second run of filling from the said opposite side through the shed, and passing out at the first side, where it leaves the filling so drawn through the shed, and in due time it issupplied with another filling, and so continuing.

In weaving matting the warp-threads are made from twine. The shuttle is necessarily heavy, and the successive travels of the shuttic over the warp wears the threads to such an extent that they frequently break, necessitating the use of very expensive twine, where, were it not for such wear of the shut- 6o tle, a much cheaper twine could be employed.

The object of my invention is to avoid the running of the shuttle or weft-carrier on the warp; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of mechanism, as hereinafter described, and more particularly recited in the claims.

In illustrating the invention I show only so much of a loom as is necessary to the understanding of the invention.

A represents the frame of the loom, which is of common construction.

B represents the lay, which is hung so as to swing upon an axis C, the vibratorymovement being imparted to the lay through 7 5 cranks D and connecting-rods E, (see Fig; 10,) in the usual manner. The lay extendsfio each side of the loom to a somewhat greater extent than half the width of the warp. On the front of the lay a longitudinal groove is formed in which two longitudinal slides F G are arranged. (See Figs. 1 and 10.)

A reciprocating movement is imparted to each of the slides .F G through cams H I on the shaft 0, the said cams connected with the respective slides by means of levers J and K through connecting-rods L and M, as seen in Fig. 1, and so that each revolution of the cams H I will impart a reciprocating movement to the said slides F G first inward to- 0 ward each other, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 1, and then return. The slide F carries an arm N above it and parallel therewith, the connection 0, between the arm and the slide, being at the outer end, as seen in Fig. 3, so 5 that the arm from the said connection 0 stands free and is in line with the open shed, so that as the slide advances the arm will pass into the shed without contact with the warp, and as the slide F returns the arm N is corre- IOO spondingly returned. The slide G is provided with a like arm P, (see Fig. 1,) and so that as the two slides advance the two arms carrying the device which grasps the end of the filling to be introduced, the said device being transferred from one arm to the other as they meet at the center, and so that as one arm advances theisaid device with its filling the other arm will meet it at the'center and take the said device, and at its return will draw the said device and the filling it carries to the opposite side. This device, which may be properly called a shuttle, is represented in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. It consists of a case R, in which two jaws S and T are arranged. The jaw S is formed on the end of a lever, which is hung upon a pivot U near the opposite end of the case, and so that the jaw may swing up and down. The jaw T is formed on the end of a lever, which is hung-upon a pivot V at the opposite end of the case, and so that like the jaw S it may swing in a vertical plane, the two jaws being in line with each other. Below the jaw S is a stationary companion jaw TV, and so that the jaw S may drop upon the stationary jaw XV, as seen in Fig. 3, or be raised therefrom, as seen in Fig. 4. Below the jaw T is a stationary jaw Y, upon which the jaw T may drop, as seen in Fig. 3, or be raised therefrom, as seen in Fig. 4.

The arm of the jaw S (see Fig. 6) is constructed upon its under side with a V-shaped recess, forming two oppositely-inclined cam surfaces a b, and the arm of the jaw T (see Fig. 7 is formed with two like oppositelyinclined cam-surfaces d and c, and the camsurfaces of the two jaws correspond with each other, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4.

In the case a longitudinal slide f is arranged parallel with the two jaws, and this slide carries a stud g, which stands between the oppositely-inclined cam-surfaces of the jaws, and so that when in its midway position, as seen in Fig. 3, the jaws S T may drop upon their stationary companion jaws, as seen in Fig. 3; but when the slidefis moved either to the right or left the stud will be moved accordingly and against the corresponding inclined surfaces of the two jaws, and so as to raise both the said jaws, as seen in Fig. 4, thus bringing the jaws to their open position. These jaws are designed to take hold of the end of the filling presented to them at the respective sides of the war, and so that one pair of jaws-say T -having grasped one end of a filling, and the shuttle being carried through the shed, will take the said filling with it and until the shuttle has passed out at the opposite side of the shed. Then the jaws are opened, which will release the filling so drawn through by the jaws T Y, and at the same time permit the introduction of a second filling to the jaws S V, which, closing thereon, will pass through the next shed, he opened to release the said second filling and for the introduction of a third filling to the jaws T Y, and so continuing.

The shuttle-case R is constructed with an opening it longitudinally through it, corre-,

sponding to the respective ends of the arms N P, (see Figs. 5 and 11,) so that the arm N may enter the opening h from one end of the shuttle, and the arm P may enter the same opening from the opposite end of the shuttle, and so that the shuttle will be supported by the arms respectively, according to the one with which it is engaged. Each of the arms N P is recessed at its free end, and in the recess of each arm a spring-latch t is hung upon a pivot 71;, and so as to swing in a vertical plane. The latch terminates at its outer end in a hook-shaped shoulder Z. In the recess 71 of the shuttle two similar hook-shaped shoulders m n are arranged, (see Fig. 11,) and so that as one arm passes into its end of the shuttle the nose Z of the spring-latch will engage the corresponding shoulder-say min the shuttle, as seen in Fig. 11. This engagement of the latch with the shuttle will interlock the shuttle with the arm, so that the shuttle must partake of the movement of the arm. The shuttle starting from one side, engaged with the arm N, as seen in Fig. 1, the shuttle will be advanced by the arm N to midway the width of the war where the other arm P will enter the shuttle, so that its latch will engage the shoulder at at that end of the shuttle. Then the latch of the arm N is disengaged, and on the return of the two arms the arm P will take the shuttle to its side of the warp and then in its turn return the shuttle to meet the first arm N, where the transfer will be again made from the arm P to the arm N.

The engagement of the latch of the arm which comes in to meet the shuttle is automatic, because the spring-actuated latch will readily ride over and engage the shoulder of the shuttle; but the disengagement must be mechanical. To do this, a rod 7' is arranged in each arm, (see Fig. 9,) and is constructed at its inner end with a cam .9, adapted to bear upon a corresponding cam-surfacet on the tail of the latch, and so that as the rod is drawn outward, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 9, the cam-surfaces s t will coact and raise the latch, as indicated in broken lines. The rod extends to the outer end of the arm, where it is provided with a trip a, which projects to the rear of the respective arms, as seen in Fig. 2. The rod 7' is also provided with a spring to, (see Fig. 9,) the tendency of which is to draw the rod inward to its normal position, and so that as the arm advances with the shuttle the trip a will at the proper time strike a stop, which will arrest the further advance of the rod while the armcon tinues its movement, and this stopping of the movement of the rod causes the rod to be withdrawn from the arm and open the latch, as before mentioned. This releasing of the shuttle from its engagement with the arm ccours on the alternate movement of the arms, respectivelythat is to say, as one arm advances with the shuttle the disengagement is produced, and at the same time the other arm engages the shuttle automatically. Then on the return the second arm must be operated upon to produce the disengagement, while the first arm will make its automatic engagement. The stops against which the trips u of the latch-rods are to operate are therefore made movable, so that first one stop is brought into the path of the trip of its arm, while the stop for the trip of the other arm is taken out of the path of that trip, and vice versa. These stops are represented in Figs. 1 and 2, 2 representing the stop at the right, and 3 the stop at the left. These stops-are made fast to the upper ends of levers 4 4 hung upon pivots 5, and so as to swing in a vertical plane, the stops projecting from the levers to the right and left, respectively, as seen in Fig. 1, so that as the 1ever-say at the rightis turned inward the stop 2 is raised out of the path of the trip, while the stop 3 is dropped into the path of the trip on its side. These levers are actuated by cams 6 on the shaft 0 through intermediate levers 7, (see Fig. 2,) the cams being timed so as to properly present the stops into the path of the respective trips.

As represented in Fig. 1, the shuttle is engaged with the arm N, and about to enter the shed. The two arms N P advance toward each other until the shuttle is brought to a central position, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 1. As the arm N approaches this position the trip u onthe latch-rod r strikes the stop 3 and arreststhe further advance of that rod while the arm continues, causing the cams s t of the rod and latch to coact and to disengage the latch from the shuttle. At the same time the arm P has entered the shuttle, and its latch has automatically engaged the shuttle, the stop 2 on that side being raised out of the path of the trip, so that the latch is free to engage the shuttle. Then the two arms return, the arm P taking with it the shuttle which it has engaged, and the arm N returning without the shuttle to its side of the warp. Then when next the arms advance the stop 2 drops into the path of its trip while the stop 3 is raised out of the path of its trip, thus permitting the arm P to disconnect from the shuttle, while the arm N will automatically engage it and take it to' its side of the warp. Thus the continued reciprocating movement of the arms will produce a full movement of the shuttle first from one side of the warp to the other side and return. The shuttle being supported by the arms runs through the shed without contact with the warp, and thus avoids the wear upon the warp, to which I have before referred.

To operate the jaws, a rod 8 is longitudinally arranged on the respective arms, (see Figs. 3,4, and 8,) the rod extending inward and so as to stand in line with the slide f, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. The rods 8 are supported in bearings 9, and so as to freely slide longitudinallytherein. The rods 8 are each provided with a spring 10, the tendency of which is to draw the rods outward and hold each rod against the arm 13, which itself rests against a stop 11. (See Fig. 3.) In this position the rod 8 has no eifect uponthe slide f, and while the shuttle is on its arm with the rod in this position the jaws remain closed, as seen in Fig. 3; but while the shuttle is thus engaged with the arm, if the rod 8 be forced inward, as representedin Fig. 4, itwill impart a longitudinal movement to the slide F from the position seen in Fig.3 to that Seen in Fig. 4, and this longitudinal movement of the rod causes the stud g to operate upon the corresponding cam-surfaces of the two jaws, and so as to raise the two jaws to the open position, as seen in Fig. 4. and this opening of the jaws must occur as the shuttle reaches its extreme position at the respective sides of the warp. To produce this opening, a. bell-crank lever 12 13 is hung upon a pivot 14, and which moves with the arm, and so as to swing in a vertical plane,

the upper arm 13 being adapted to bear against the outer end of the rod 8, while the arm 12 extends outward. The outer end of the arm 12 is provided with an inwardly-projecting stud 15. (See Fig. 8.) In the path of this stud, as the arm approaches its extreme outward position, is a swinging cam 16, hung upon the lay, and so that the stud 15 of the arm 12 will strike this cam 16 as the arm approaches its extreme outward position, and riding up that cam will turn the lever 12 13 so as to force the arm 13 against the rod 8, and cause that rod 8 to move inward, and correspondingly move the slide f, as from the position seen in Fig. 3 to that seen in Fig. 4, .to produce the opening of the jaws. Then, as the outward movement of the arm is completed the stud 15 drops behind the cam 16, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 4,

when the rod 3 will be free and will retreat from its action upon the slide f; then the'jaws drop under the action of the spring 17 pro vided for the purpose, the cam-surfaces of the jaws causing the slide to return to its normal position. On the next advance of the arm the stud 15 passes below the cam 16, raising the cam, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 3, so that the lever 12 13 may pass from the cam 16 without action therefrom.

lVhile the jaws are open at one side of the warp the end of the filling is introduced to the outer jaws, and so as to be engaged thereby when the jaws close, and so that as the shuttle is advanced it will take the filling so filling taken, and so 011.

By this construction, arrangement, and operation of the shuttle the successive runs of filling are taken from the respective sides of the warps and drawn through the shed with out possible contact of the shuttle with the shed, thus avoiding the wear which necessarily follows the riding of the shuttle upon the warp, and therefore permitting the use of a much lighter and cheaper warp than can be employed where the shuttle rides upon the warp, and greatly reducing the cost of [0 manufacture, particularly in matting, in

which the warps are twine and the fillings grass or rushes.

In the illustrations I have shown details of construction of only one of the arms; but it will be understood that the mechanisms in the two arms are duplicates the one of the other.

I am aware that longitudinalreciprocating slides have been arranged upon the lay, carrying arms above, which are adapted to enter from the respective sides of the shed and meet at the center and there transfer a shuttle from one arm to the other. I therefore do not claim, broadly, in this application such an arrangement of reciprocating arms and shuttle; but

IVhat I do claim is 1. In a loom substantiallysuch as described, the combination of the lay, two slides, one arranged in longitudinal guides at each end of the lay and movable with the lay, the said slides carrying arms in line with the open shed, a shuttle adapted to be transferred from the inner end of one arm to the inner end of the other arm, a pair of swinging jaws hung in said shuttle, one jaw at each end,with corresponding stationary jaws in the shuttle, the arms of each of said swinging jaws constructed with oppositely-inclined cam-surfaces, a longitudinal slide arranged in the shuttle parallel with the jaws, the slide provided with a 40 stud extending into the cam-shaped recesses of the two jaws, a longitudinally-sliding rod arranged in guides on each carrying-arm, its inner end adapted to bear against the corresponding end of said slide in the shuttle, and mechanism, substantially such as described, to impart longitudinal movement to said sliding rod, substantially as specified, whereby the said two swinging jaws are both brought to the open position as the shuttle reaches its extreme throw at each side of the warp.

2. Ina loom substantially such as described, the combination of the lay, the two longitudinal slides F G, arranged at the respective ends of the lay, mechanism for imparting reciprocatin g movement to said slides, arms N P, carried by the said slides, respectively, and parallel therewith, the said arms being in the line of the open shed of the warp, a spring-actuated latch i, hung in the inner end of each of said arms, a sliding rod 9', arranged in each of said arms, the inner end of therod and tail of the latch constructed with corresponding cam-shaped surfaces 8 t, the said rod r extending to the outer end of the arms and there provided with a trip a, a shuttle constructed with a longitudinal opening correspondin to the ends of the respective arms, and with shoulders 91 m in said opening with which the said spring-latches of the respective arms are adapted to engage, stops 2 3, means for alternately throwing said stops into or out of the path of said trips, a pair of jaws S T, arranged longitudinally in said shuttle, the said jaws being at the opposite ends, the arms of the jaws hung at the opposite ends of the shuttle, corresponding stationary jaws W' Y, and the arms of the jaws constructed with oppositelyinclined cam-surfaces, a longitudinal slide f in said shuttle parallel with said jaws, with a projection g therefrom between the oppositely-inclined surfaces of the arms of the jaws, a sliding rod 8 in each of said arms and adapted to bear respectively against the outer ends of the said slide f, bell-crank levers 12 13, one arm arranged to bearagainst the outer end of said rods 8, the other arm carrying a stud 15, and swinging cams 16 in the paths of the said stud 15, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

J OSEPII I l. GREENLEAF.

\Vitnesses:

FRED C. EARLE, J. H. SHUMVVAY. 

